Making Connections: Conversation, Composition, and Culture (SPAN300) Syllabus

Spanish 300 is intended for students who have successfully completed Spanish 204 or its equivalent. It is the first course in the Spanish major and minor and is a foundational course designed to prepare students for subsequent advanced-level courses in Spanish. The primary objectives of Spanish 300 are: ● to increase students’ awareness and understanding of Hispanic cultures, both locally and globally ● to develop critical thinking skills and ability to reflect ● to build students’ oral proficiency ● to expand and perfect knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures ● to improve reading and writing skills These goals will be accomplished through exposure to a wide variety of texts and themes. Learning, of course, is never a passive activity. In order to learn, one cannot simply be exposed to ideas, but rather must inquire, reflect, and apply the lessons – in other words, engage in the enterprise. This is not a lecture class, but rather a course in which I will challenge you to think and reflect on the material presented and then formulate and articulate your own ideas in class discussions and presentations as well as in well- thought-out and well-developed writings. Only you can take advantage of this time and these resources in order to improve your skills. The more you put into each activity and assignment both in and outside of the classroom, the more you will progress